


If At First You Don't Succeed

by Leisey



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humour, Identity Reveal, Matchmaking, Miraculous Big Bang 2k17, Shenanigans, group chats, post-reveal, swearing teenagers, the class tries and continuously fails to get Marinette and Adrien together, you can pry this Chloe redemption from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-07 23:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12852174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leisey/pseuds/Leisey
Summary: The course of true love never did run smooth...especially when it involved thirteen well-meaning classmates, numerous failed plans, a butterfly-loving maniac, and two oblivious lovebirds who won't do as they're told.In other words, fed up with how Marinette and Adrien refuse to admit their love for one another, their friends band together to play matchmaker.





	If At First You Don't Succeed

The reveal didn’t happen the way they expected it to.

There were no dramatic love confessions, no telling each other after they’d defeated Hawkmoth, no strangers under the masks. Instead, there was running away from a keen reporter (who, surprisingly, was not Alya, because they blogger had _finally_ decided that akumas after midnight were too late—or too early—for her to go chasing after). There were a pair of timed-out miraculouses on a random rooftop and two dumbfounded teenagers.

The pair of them dazedly made their way back to their homes to scream into pillows. They’d just fallen in love with each other even more, but they both decided not to mention that little detail to one another. What if it ruined their friendship? What if it ruined their _partnership_? Paris needed Ladybug and Chat Noir too much for feelings to get in the way.

Marinette and Adrien resolved not to confess and be happy with just being friends...and thoroughly annoyed the rest of their class by doing so.

Because, although they’d decided to be friends, it was like a switch had been flicked overnight. Marinette and Adrien may have been friends, but Ladybug and Chat Noir were _best friends_. They had inside jokes and a comfortability with each other that bled into their civilian lives. There was no way the pair could stop themselves from acting like their superhero identities in everyday life.

After a week of inside jokes, nicknames, eye rolls, puns, nose bops, and fist bumps, their classmates were about to lose their minds. One: because how in the world did this happen?! And two: why weren’t Marinette and Adrien doing anything about it?!

“What? Ask Adrien out?!” Marinette had turned beet red when the class (particularly Alya) demanded she do so. “I can’t do that! I mean, I love him, but what if it ruins what we have? I can’t do that—I mean—it’s just complicated.”

“Ask her out, are you serious?! No way!” Adrien said when the class (mainly Alya) demanded the same thing from him. “Marinette's amazing! Of course I love her, but I’m not gonna risk our friendship.”

“But _dude_!” had been Nino’s eloquence response, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the class.

“It’s complicated,” was all the model would say when they questioned him further.

Complicated? _Complicated_? What did that _mean?!_  How was it complicated?!

Well, if Marinette and Adrien were too stubborn to get it together and _get together,_ then their friends would just have to do it for them.

And so began the biggest ever group project of Miss Bustier’s class.

* * *

“Okay, I have questions,” Alya said.

“You always have questions,” Nino replied.

Their class (minus Marinette and Adrien) were gathered in the school library. They were all crammed around a table and they had notebooks and pens out, ready to take notes.

“Okay, yes,” Alya conceded the point. “But my main query is this: Chloé, why did you call this meeting? I mean, I was literally about to do it myself, but then you messaged us all and said not to tell Mari and Adrien.”

Everyone turned to where Chloé sat at the head of the table, tapping away on her phone; like always, Sabrina sat her side. When Chloé was certain she had everyone's attention, she huffed and put the phone down. “I'm sure it's come to everyone's attention how gone for each other Adrien and Marinette are.”

“Yes,” Alya voice was carefully restrained. Like she was just controlling herself from going into protective best friend mode. “I want to know why you care.”

“If you think we're gonna let you get between them,” Nino spoke up, “you've got another thing coming.”

Chloé rolled her eyes. “Calm down. I called you all here because I want to get them together, not keep them apart.”

Dead silence followed her announcement; everyone stared at her in varying degrees of shock.

“What?” Chloé said. “I can see that he loves her. I might think that Marinette isn't good enough for my Adrikins, but he's my friend, and I want him happy.”

The class still remained speechless.

“Oh, come _on_.” The Mayor’s daughter rolled her eyes and continued, “I may be mean and better than all of you, but I'm not heartless.”

Sabrina nudged her.

A beat passed. “I may be mean, but I'm not heartless,” Chloé amended.

“Better,” Sabrina whispered to her.

“I'm _not_ heartless,” the blonde repeated, “and Adrien’s an oblivious dolt who won't do anything, so I need you losers to help me get him together with Marinette.”

“Wow, Chloé,” Alix drawled, “I can really pick up on all that heartfelt appreciation of us.”

Sabrina spoke up to support her best friend. “What she means is that we really think Marinette and Adrien would be good together, and we need everyone's help to make it happen.”

The class contemplated their idea. Predictably, it was Alya that spoke first.

“I’m in!”

Everyone else followed suit...all except for one.

“I'm not!” Lila had her arms crossed and wore a frown.

“ _B_ _ruh_ ,” Nino said imploringly.

“What?” Their newest class member sniffed. “I like Adrien, why would I set him up with someone else? Besides, I'm sure I can get him to ask me out one of these days.”

There was a beat of silence and then everyone at the table roared with laughter.

Lila’s frown deepened. “What?”

“Do you seriously think you can get Adrien to choose _you_ over _Marinette_?” Max asked as the laughter died down. “The odds of that happening are severely unlikely.”

“I can try!”

“Lila, my dude. I'm all for liking whoever you want, but you're fighting a losing battle,” Nino said. “Adrien has literally told me he's in love with Marinette. Like, the words, ‘I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng,’ actually came out of his mouth. Repeatedly.”

Lila huffed. “Well, I could—”

Chloé slammed her hand on the desk. “No! We're getting Adrien and Marinette together and that's that! If you don't like it, Lila, there's the door. Try not to get akumatised again on your way out.”

Once again, Chloé had stunned them all into silence.

“Savage!” Kim laughed, after a moment.

“You can't talk to me like that!” Lila snapped.

“Too bad, I just did,” Chloé replied. “Now, you washed-out superhero wannabe, are you going to help us, or not?”

“Damn,” Nino whispered to Alya. “Chloé is on the warpath today.”

The blogger nodded and then addressed the rest of the table. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Chloé.” At their stunned faces, she went on. “I know, I know. I'm surprised too, but she's got a point. Those dorks aren't going to do a thing, so it's up to us.”

“I still don't want to set Adrien up with someone,” Lila pouted. “It's alright for you guys, none of you like either of them.”

“Half the people at this table have had a crush on either Marinette, Adrien, or both. You're not special.” Chloé glared at her. “Now, either help us or leave.”

Lila looked like she wanted to protest further, but she swallowed her complaints. “Fine,” she huffed, arms crossed.

“So, what's the plan?” Rose asked, looking excited at the idea.

Chloé faltered. “I don't have one. That's why I needed your help.”

“Whoa, did I hear that right?” Nino asked in fake surprise. “Chloé needs _our_ help?”

She glared at him. “Don't make me say it again, Lahiffe.”

The DJ put his hands up in defence. “Hey, I’m just saying—”

“ _Okay_ ,” Alya spoke loudly over them. “Getting back on track. Ideas, anyone?”

“What if we just told them to get together?” Ivan suggested. “That's simple.”

“We've tried that,” Alya replied, sounding defeated.

“Repeatedly,” Nino added in the same tone.

“Scare them until they confessed their feelings?” Mylène said. After all, it had worked for her and Ivan.

There was a contemplative silence.

“Scare them how?” Nathaniel asked.

“We could make another monster costume and try that,” Juleka said. “That monster costume was awesome.”

Alya didn't look convinced. “Mari and Adrien don't scare easily, though.”

“Are you kidding?” Alix spoke up. “Marinette is, like, super jumpy.”

Nino shook his head. “Nah, that was only around Adrien. She's calmed down a lot more now that they're friends.”

“Okay, well, how about we all go home and think about it?” Sabrina suggested. “If you think of something, act on it. If you need our help, let us know.”

“I can make a group chat for it,” Alya said.

“Please don't,” Lila groaned. (Her protest was ignored.)

“Happy brainstorming, losers,” Chloé said, standing up from the table. “Let me know if you come up with something decent.”

* * *

The first one to do anything was, surprisingly, Rose. Or perhaps it wasn't that surprising; the kind blonde, like most everyone else, was determined to see Marinette and Adrien together.

Unfortunately, her plan wasn't thought out very well. It wasn’t much of a plan at all; she just decided to comment on how adorable the pair were at any moment she could.

“You guys look so cute!” Rose gushed when she saw them first the first time after the ‘Get The Two Dorks Together Before We All Lose It’ meeting. (Nino suggested the name and, so far, no one had suggested anything better.)

“Uhhh,” Marinette and Adrien chorused in confused unison. They were blushing, but clearly baffled as to why Rose felt the need to comment on how they looked together.

“Super cute!” Rose reiterated.

“Thank you,” the designer said.

“That's nice of you,” Adrien smiled.

Rose shared a despairing look with Juleka. It seems the two lovebirds didn't get the hint.

“I’ll just have to keep trying,” Rose muttered determinedly to herself as Marinette and Adrien walked away.

* * *

Kim’s plan of attack was even less thought-out than Rose’s.

“Oops!” he cried as he accidentally-but-totally-on-purpose crashed into Marinette in the school courtyard. (The rest of the class looked on with bated breath and tried not to seem like they were watching.)

Their class president let out a shriek as she went colliding into Adrien. The model caught her, letting out an “oof!” in the process, but that didn't stop them from crashing to the ground.

They landed in a tangle of limbs, Marinette sprawled on top of Adrien, but it didn't seem to faze them. Sure, they were blushing, but then Adrien smirked, Marinette rolled her eyes and they helped each other up.

It was almost as if they were  _used_ to falling on top of each other—

“Falling for me again, Princess?” Adrien asked, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Wait, what?

Since when did Adrien come out with lines like that?!

Marinette scoffed. “Please, that was all Kim’s doing and you know it.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Kim interjected.

The pair nodded, acknowledging his apology, but they didn't take their eyes off one another. Instead, they stepped even closer to each other and continued talking.

“Ah, I’ll sweep you off your feet eventually,” Adrien said, still grinning widely.

Somehow, Marinette didn't self-combust and instead replied, “Or I’ll sweep you off yours.”

Adrien leaned in even further. “You already did that, or don't you remember how we first met? Hmm, _Miss Maladroit_?”

What did that mean?! They were there when Marinette and Adrien met and she (mistakenly) gave him a hard time for putting gum on her seat! Was that what Adrien considered being swept off his feet?

“I have so many questions,” Nino said, no longer even bothering to hide the fact he was watching them.

The class looked on as the pair walked away, all of them in varying states of bewilderment.

“I think we all do,” Alya replied.

* * *

**Group Chat: Plan ‘Get The Two Dorks Together Before We All Lose It’**

**Kim:** I WANT IT PUT ON RECORD THAT MY PLAN GOT THEM CLOSER THAN ANYONE ELSE SO FAR.

 **Chloé:** Lose the caps loser your plan sucked. Almost as much as this chat name.

 **Nino:** rude

 **Kim:** thank you, bro.

 **Nino:** no i meant rude she insulted my plan/chat name

 **Alix:** lol get rekt kim. Also, that was not a plan you literally just pushed tjem together

 **Kim:** it was better than Roses! She just said they looked good together!

 **Rose:** I tried!

 **Lila:** whyyyy am I here?

 **Alya:** I told u id make a group chat.

* * *

Juleka’s idea had a little more depth to it.

She decided to ask to take photos of them. They'd have to get in close to one another, hug, see how wonderful they were for each other, and confess their feelings.

…Okay, maybe that was Rose’s influence on her. She doubted there'd be a romantic, heartfelt confession straight away, but she hoped there would be!

Armed with her camera, she marched up to Marinette and Adrien during lunch. “Hey, can I get a picture of you two?” She asked.

The pair were more than happy to pose for a photo. At least, they were until Marinette frowned at Adrien and said, “Stop that.”

Juleka and Adrien stared at her in confusion. “Stop what? The latter asked.

“That's your model smile,” she said, poking his cheek. “Give me a real one.”

Adrien’s returning smile was slow, gentle. He looked at her like she was his whole world. Not willing to miss capturing such a perfect moment, Juleka snapped it in a flash of bright light.

The pair started, clearly not expecting the photo to be taken. Her mission complete, Juleka went to leave. “Thanks, guys. It looks super rad—”

Marinette grabbed her wrist. “No, wait! You should have one with us.”

“Yeah,” Adrien agreed. “It'll be like our class photo shoot in the park.”

No. No, this wasn't what she wanted. _They_ were supposed to be photographed, not her. They were supposed to be super close to one another, realised how much they liked said closeness, and then confess. She wasn't supposed to get in the way of that!

“Ohhh, you guys look super cute!” Rose said brightly, walking up to them.

Marinette and Adrien shared a confused glance. No doubt wondering why Rose was once again commenting on how cute they were. “Thank you?” They chorused.

Juleka shot her best friend a look, her eyes screaming, ‘help me!’ Because the two lovebirds clearly weren't doing what they were supposed to.

“Want me to take a photo of you?” Rose offered, not getting the hint.

 _No!_ Juleka thought desperately.

“Sure!” Marinette and Adrien said enthusiastically.

They dragged her in for a photo, which then turned into numerous more. It seemed the pair were determined to get Juleka in every shot, much like the day of their class pictures. There were group shots, pair shots and numerous individual photos of Juleka.

Adrien turned out to be quite the photographer, something he said he picked up from modelling.

“Say spaghetti!” He said, pointing the camera at Juleka, Rose and Marinette.

“Spaghetti!” They chorused.

While her original plan was in shambles, Juleka couldn't find it in herself to care. It was a fun way to spend lunch with her friends (and the photos turned out great).

None of that stopped her from sending the original picture she'd taken of Marinette and Adrien to the group chat.

Alya instantly set it as that chat’s display picture.

* * *

Alix was the next one to take up the cause, but it didn't happen the way the rest of the class thought it would.

She approached the oblivious lovebirds in the break before P.E. and asked, “Which one of you is more athletic? I need someone to help me beat Kim.”

No one saw what would happen next coming.

“I am,” Marinette and Adrien answered at the same time. Shock flickered onto their expressions and they turned to each other.

“What?” Marinette raised her eyebrows. “I always beat you.” Adrien drew breath to reply, but she didn't let him speak. “If you say you let me win, I'll hit you,” she warned.

Adrien grinned. “Not in the face, Princess. How will I ever model then?” A beat passed. “On second thought, go for the face. I’ll actually get a break from work that way.”

The rest of the class was at a loss. When in the world did those two develop such a talent for banter? When had Adrien nicknamed Marinette ‘Princess,’ when did it stick, and why wasn't Marinette dying every time he called her that? Since when did they exercise together enough for Marinette to ‘always’ win? Since when was Marinette even athletic?! She was more predisposed to falling over all the time or running into things...right?

There were so many questions!

Alya, it seemed, couldn't say silent. She needed answers. “Girl, since when do you do sports?”

Marinette froze. “Oh, you know, I decided to pick up running,” she said airily.

“I ran into her one morning and we decided to keep doing it together,” Adrien added.

Okay, so they spent all day together and went exercising together. Why weren’t they dating already?!

“But really though, Princess,” Adrien said. “I do fencing, basketball _and_ karate. You just go... _running_.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I could beat you any day.”

Adrien smirked. “Bring it on, Princess.”

A challenge had been made.

Marinette took a deep breath and turned to Alix. “I'll help you beat Kim, no matter what sport we play in P.E,” she declared.

Alix grinned savagely. “Awesome. They're going down!”

“Whatever!” Kim said, joining the conversation and coming to stand at Adrien’s side. “You heard the man, he does fencing, basketball _and_ karate. With him on my team, there's no way we're gonna lose.”

Alix marched up to Kim, staring him down despite the clear height difference. “We’re gonna destroy you so hard, not even Ladybug could fix you.”

“Hear that, Adrien?” Marinette smirked at the model. “Not even Ladybug can help you.”

Adrien grinned wickedly. “Well, I've always been more of a Chat Noir fan, myself—”

“Since _when?!_ ” Nino demanded. “Dude, you're like the biggest Ladybug fan I know!”

Alya cleared her throat pointedly.

“No, babe, I'm sorry. Adrien has you beat. He's the ultimate Ladybug fanboy!”

Adrien continued as if his best friend hadn't spoken. “And since we're Team Chat Noir, _we’re_ the ones who're gonna destroy you. Destruction is Chat’s specialty after all.”

Marinette looked liked she wanted to say more and refute what Adrien had said. Instead, she settled on a, “We’ll see,” and dragged Alix into the school, talking team strategies and they went.

Not willing to be outdone, Adrien dragged Kim along a second behind them.

The rest of the class looked on in a stunned silence.

“What just happened?” Nathaniel eventually asked the question that everyone was thinking.

“I don't know,” Chloé answered dismissively, tapping away at her phone. “But if it gets them together, I don't care.”

“I believe this only has a thirty-five percent chance of success,” Max said.

“Is this even a plan?” Mylène wanted to know. “Alix literally just asked one of them to help her beat Kim.”

“I don't think she's even thinking of getting them together at all,” Ivan added.

“They might get caught up in the competition and get swept away by their feelings?” Sabrina said hopefully.

Alya shook her head and sighed. “No, we’re just in for a hell of a P.E. lesson.”

“It's a dumb idea anyway,” Lila scowled.

“No one asked you,” Chloé said, still typing away on her phone. “Luckily, I have a backup plan.”

“Which is?” Alya asked, once the Mayor’s daughter didn't elaborate.

Chloé finally looked up from her phone. “Well, right now I'm making an appointment, and if that works, I'll let you know.”

Juleka muttered something that no one really heard, but they all presumed it was something about Chloé’s entirely unhelpful answer.

“Do you think it'll work, whatever it is?” Rose asked, when her best friend didn’t say any more.

“Of course it will, it’s _my_ idea,” Chloé said, flouncing back into the school. “Come on, Sabrina, and the rest of you losers. Let's go see Alix’s idea go down in flames.”

The class rolled their eyes at Chloé’s antics and trailed along behind her. “I still have so many questions,” Nino said as they went.

* * *

P.E. was, in a word, brutal.

Their teacher had given them an alternative to dodgeball. They were split into teams of two (which were named Team Ladybug and Team Chat Noir), one team was given foam disks and then told to stand in two straight lines, with a few meters between them. The remaining team was then to run through the two lines and dodge the discs as their classmates threw them at them. When one group was finished, they'd switch and the other team would dodge. The last person standing from each team would then verse the other to decide which team won.

No one could land a hit on Marinette or Adrien.

(Not that Alix or Kim were really trying; they were too busy trying to take out each other.)

But for all the classmates’ efforts, they couldn’t hit the two love struck idiots. Marinette and Adrien danced out of the way of the foam disks with a flexibility and grace that the others weren’t expecting. The pair got close to getting each other out, but none of their friends could hit them.

It was inevitable that Marinette and Adrien became the last two in.

“Do it, Adrien!” Kim cried. “Win for Team Chat Noir!”

“You can do it, Marinette!” Alix shouted a second later. “Don’t listen to that idiot! Team Ladybug’s got this!”

Marinette turned to Adrien. “You hear that? Team Ladybug’s got this.”

He wasn’t even fazed. “Hmm…I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“You sound confident.”

“I _am_ confident.”

“Are they—are they trash-talk flirting?” Nino asked Alya in a dumbfounded whisper.

“I think they are,” the blogger replied.

Nino looked like he was about to lose his mind. “What fucking parallel world did we stumble in to?! First, the two barely talk to each other, next minute they’re best friends but totally not dating, and now they’re trash talk-flirting? I just— _I have so many questions_!”

Whatever Alya was about to say in response was drowned out by their teacher blowing their whistle and utter mayhem being unleashed as Marinette and Adrien raced each other down the line of the two teams. Foam disks went flying, but none of them touched the two students.

“It’s a tie!” The teacher announced when the two of them came out unscathed.

“Noooooooooo!” Kim wailed.

“A tie is as bad as losing!” Alix cried.

“Well then, you’ll just have to settling it by playing regular old dodgeball,” their teacher replied, gesturing to a giant bag of balls.

Alix and Kim grinned savagely; everyone else groaned.

In the end, Marinette managed to get Adrien out when she distracted him by smiling very prettily at him across the court and Alya hit him with the ball; Kim had a black eye and Alix was victorious.

“Let’s not do this again,” Max said, when Adrien and Marinette walked off _still not dating_ , and Alix was loudly bragging about her win in Kim’s bruised and swollen face.

“Agreed,” the rest of the class chorused bitterly.

* * *

Nathaniel’s idea was similar to Juleka’s, but he had to play to his strengths.

“You want us to model for you?” Adrien asked. “Sure, I’m in. What about you, Princess?”

“Of course,” Marinette replied. “What do you need us to do?”

“Well, I’m painting dancers and I just need people to reference off. So, if you two could stand in a waltzing position, that’d be great? Unless you don’t want to, because it can be uncomfortable….” Nathaniel trailed off as he saw Alya and Chloé gesturing wildly behind Marinette and Adrien.

It was hard to understand what they were miming at him, but he was pretty sure she saw Chloé mouth, ‘ _Get them together, Tomato, or you’ll be pulling paintbrushes out of your butt_.’ Alya, for her part, was mouthing too quickly for him to comprehend, but there were a lot of obscene gestures to go with it, so Nathaniel wasn’t about to risk her wrath.

“But if you could help me, I’d be really grateful!” He hurriedly finished.

Marinette and Adrien, bless their oblivious souls, had no idea of the antics happening behind them and agree to help instantly. However, they were a little less enthusiastic when it came to modelling. Well, perhaps ‘enthusiastic’ wasn’t the right word. They were exceedingly _awkward_ when it came to modelling.

Even Adrien, with all his model experience, wasn’t prepared for being so close to a stuttering and blushing Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“Do—do I just put my hand here?” Marinette asked, putting a tentative hand on Adrien’s shoulder.

“Uh—yep—and then I put mine here and take your other hand.” Adrien turned, red faced, to look back at Nathaniel, who was watching them from behind his easel. “How do we look? Is this good?”

Nathaniel tried to look like he hadn’t just taken a photo of them, nodded and focused back on his phone. “Yeah, you’re good. Just give me one sec.”

**Group Chat: Plan ‘Why haven’t we thought of a better name for this?’**

**Nathaniel:** _[Sent one attachment]_ I got them close together. Will keep you posted.

 **Rose:** Awwww, look how cute they are!

 **Chloé:** good job, tomato

 **Kim:** ….was Chloé just…supportive?

 **Chloé:** he did better than you

 **Alix:** hahhaha, suck it, kim

 **Max:** I mean…Chloé’s not wrong.

 **Kim:** Max! BRO!

 **Nino:** hey, who changed the group chat name?

 **Chloé:** ……………

 **Kim:** ……………

 **Alix:** ……………

 **Max:** ……………

 **Nino:** guys, seriously

 **Alya:** guilty.

 **Nino:** b a b e

 **Alya:** sorry, but im sad we havent thought of anything better

 **Nino:** betrayal!

 **Alya:** oh hey, theres an akuma attack. but nice work, nath. gotta go!

 **Nino:** babe, we talked about using ‘hey, sorry, there’s an akuma attack’ to get out of conversations

 **Nino:** oh shit

 **Nino:** there’s actually an attack

 **Nino:** alya, don’t go out there on your own!

 **Alix:** ……………

 **Alix:** so they’re offline. Quick! Someone change the name again!

 **Lila:** _[Has changed the group chat name to ‘why the fuck am I still here?’]_

 **Alix:** not what I was expecting

 **Alix:** but I’ll take it

Nathaniel looked up from his phone. “Alya says there’s an Akuma…” He began, only to trail off at the sight of an empty room.

Marinette and Adrien had gone.

* * *

Gabriel blinked once. Twice. A third time.

“Miss Bourgeois,” he said at length. “I appreciate that you took the time to book this appointment with my secretary, but why on Earth have you called a meeting to talk about my son’s romantic life?”

“More like a lack of one!” Chloé huffed, her arms folded in annoyance.

Gabriel just raised an eyebrow.

“Someone needs to do something about it, so that’s why I called in you.”

“…And you want me to set my son up on a date with you? Miss Bourgeois, I really don’t think—”

“Noooo, not _me!_ _Marinette!_ ”

Gabriel paused. “You mean, Miss Dupain-Cheng?”

“Yes! Adrien’s in love with her. He’s admitted he’s in love with her, and _she’s_ in love with _him_ , but he’s not _doing anything about it!”_

Chloé looked like she was about to launch into another tirade and Gabriel lifted a hand to stall her. “I’m sorry,” he said, feeling surprised but hiding it well. “You think Adrien is in love with Miss Dupain-Cheng, and that his feelings are requited?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“And this…upsets you?”

“ _Yes!_ ” Chloé sounded exasperated.

“And why is that, exactly?”

“Because the idiot hasn’t asked her out yet!” Chloé exploded, clearing reaching the end of her patience. “Jeez, Uncle Gabe, is being dumb and oblivious when it comes to love a genetic thing? You Agrestes are slow on the uptake.”

“I— _Chloé_ ,” he reproved.

She wasn’t even fazed. “What? It’s true. You and Adrien both—totally hopeless!”

“ _Chloé_.”

“What? Adrien hasn’t done a thing about it! Where do you think he got that from?” She sent him a pointed look.

Gabriel pinch the bridge of his nose. “Yes, thank you, Chloé.”

“I’m just saying. You’re as hopeless as he is.”

He sighed. “Yes, I am aware that I am not as…emotionally inclined as my wife. However, that doesn’t mean I can force my son into doing something he doesn’t want to do.”

Chloé’s expression fell flat. She looked unimpressed and highly sceptical. “Really, Uncle Gabe? _You_ can’t force Adrien into something he _doesn’t want to do?”_

“I don’t understand your implication.”

She huffed and folded her arms. “Of course, you don’t.”

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose and fought the urge to sigh a second time. He tired of this. The quicker he agreed with Chloé, the quicker the meeting would end.

“Very well,” he acquiesced. “I will speak to Adrien, but I cannot promise anything.”

Chloé brightened immediately. “Thanks, Uncle Gabe!” She got up, already finishing out her phone and typing away a message. “Don’t let us down!” She made her way to the door and paused as she was about to leave, looking critically around the room. “And jeez, would it kill you to put a bit more colour in around the place? It’s like an evil lair in here. Who are you—Hawk Moth?”

With that, she flounced out of the room, leaving Gabriel to simply stare blankly at the place she’d been.

What had he just agreed to?

* * *

**Group Chat: why the fuck am I still here?**

**Chloé:** Ew, are we actually letting Lila keep that group name?

 **Lila:** Yes. It’s a legitimate question.

 **Sabrina:** _[Has changed the group chat name to ‘Chloé is the best’]_

 **Chloé:** much better

 **Lila:** _[Has changed the group chat name to ‘Chloé wishes she was the best’]_

 **Chloé:** Okay, one: rude. Two: I spoke to Adrien’s dad.

 **Alix:** was anyone else expecting more from Chloé’s response?

 **Max:** Statistically, yes, her comebacks are usually harsher than that.

 **Nathaniel:** I like the new, nice Chloé.

 **Lila:** At least someone does.

 **Nathaniel:** Jury’s still out on you, Lila.

_[Multiple people are typing…]_

**Kim:** hoLY FUCK

 **Nino:** DUDE

 **Alya:** *DAMN* NATHANIEL!

 **Alix:** HOLY SHIT

 **Alix:** NATHANIEL JUST COMES FROM FUCKING NOWHERE AND ANNIHILATES LILA

 **Nino:** Babe, did you just ‘damn Daniel,’ Nathaniel?

 **Alya:** ….maybe #dontmemeshameme2k17

 **Rose:** I agree with Nath. You’re a likeable person, Lila, you just haven’t been acting like it. This chat is a positive place and you’ve been really negative. We’re trying to get Marinette and Adrien together, and you haven’t been helping at all.

 **Lila:** Okay, I don’t think I deserved that, but whatever. And, again, I’ll ask that why would I help set them up when I want to date Adrien?

 **Nino:** okay so lilas in denial.

 **Lila:** no, I'm just saying that I can win him over and that trying to get him together with Marinette with is stupid.

 **Alya:** okay, well, good luck with that.

 **Rose:** I'm sure Adrien would much appreciate you taking his feelings account.

 **Juleka:** not ignoring them to focus on your own.

 **Lila:** what is this, the attack-Lila hour?

 **Myléne:** Well, you gave us a hard time first.

 **Lila:** but i love Adrien!

 **Chloé:** again, everyone in this group has liked Marinette or Adrien at some point. You’re not special.

 **Chloé:** and love? Please. You want to see love? Look at Marinette’s face whenever Adrien walks into the room...or vice versa.

 **Lila:** I…

 **Chloé:** right, while Lila has an existential crisis, back to my original point. I spoke to Uncle Gabe. That was the appointment I told you about. He’s going to try to talk some sense into Adrikins.

 **Nino:** oh my god, he let's you call him UNCLE GABE?! You actually get away with that?!

 **Chloé:** of course he does. It's me.

 **Nino:** I'm annoyed at how much sense that answer makes.

 **Alya:**...anyone else think tgis chat is a train wreck??

 **Alix:** _[Has changed the group chat name to ‘existential crises and train wrecks’]_

 **Alya:** very fitting. i like it.

* * *

It was Mylené who voiced the flaw in Chloé’s plan the next day.

“Not to be negative,” she said, looking around the room at the group. “But are we even sure Mr Agreste will be able to do anything? Just because he talks to Adrien, doesn’t mean that Adrien will actually confess his feelings.”

They had gathered at their normal table in the library, and everyone stopped and stared at her in mute horror. As if it didn’t occur to them that Gabriel Agreste might not be able to bend his son to his will.

“Nooo, don’t say that!” Rose said. “We have to think positive!”

“She’s got a point, though,” Nino spoke up. “Adrien’s got a history of not doing as he's told.”

Kim looked sceptical. “No way. He always does what his dad tells him.”

“Dude, he snuck out of home just to come to school, and he’s missed _so_ many photo shoots this year. I don’t know where he goes when he skips them, but he’s definitely not where he should be.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Sabrina, start organising my plan B,” Chloé told her best friend. “Adrikins might be difficult.”

Alix shook her head. “Nah, Mr Agreste has got this in the bag.”

* * *

Awkward. Everything was so, so awkward.

Adrien stared at his Father in a mix of confusion and steadily increasing mortification. “E- _excuse_ me?”

Surely Adrien heard wrong. There was no way he interpreted what came out of his Father’s mouth correctly.

Gabriel looked as uncomfortable as Adrien felt. “I said, it has been brought to my attention that you are rather fond of Miss Dupain-Cheng. As you are a growing young man, I am sure you will be getting some...urges.”

Oh god, his Father wasn’t actually saying what Adrien thought he was saying, was he?! _This_ was what he’d been called into his Father’s office before school for?!

“Father, I—”

“Therefore, I must insist on you being safe when such...urges...strike you. Especially when you have the Agreste name to uphold.”

“Father, really—”

“I’m sure you care for Miss Dupain-Cheng deeply, however, you’re far too young for children,” Gabriel continued as if his son hadn’t spoken, and Adrien was about to die from embarrassment. To make matters worse, he reached into his desk and pulled out a banana. “Therefore, I will demonstrate—”

“Mother already gave me The Talk!” Adrien blurted before the mortifying conversation could go any further. He was never one to interrupt his Father, but this needed to _stop_. He didn’t think he could handle hearing about sex from his Father; it was bad enough when he heard it from his Mother.

Gabriel paused. “I was not aware of that. Then you know of safe sex practices?”

He cringed at his Father saying ‘sex.’ “Yep,” he said, and then thought of _sex_ and _Marinette_ flashed through his mind and _oh god._ “Yep, I know the things! Safe things!” He squeaked. “Mum told me all the things!”

Please, let him get out of there and never think of that moment again.

An awkward silence settled over them.

He was about to jump out of his chair and bolt, when his Father cleared his throat and said, “Very well, I see that this conversation is no longer needed. Good luck with Miss Dupain-Cheng, Adrien. You may go.”

Adrien had never fled from a room so fast.

* * *

Nino checked his phone and let out a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a groan.

Everyone looked over at him. They were still in their meeting, but all paused to see what Nino had to say.

“Adrien just messaged me and said that his Father just tried to give him The Talk.”

The table erupted in groans.

“I stand corrected,” Alix said. “Mr Agreste does _not_ have this in the bag.”

“Damn it, Uncle Gabe,” Chloé muttered. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

“What do we do now?” Juleka asked.

“Sabrina?” Chloé looked to the girl in question.

“Plan B is go,” Sabrina replied, tapping away at her phone. “I’ve rescheduled your hairdresser appointment and given you enough time for a shopping spree.”

The rest of the class looked dubious.

“How is you going shopping going to help us?” Nathaniel wanted to know.

“Because, Tomato, I’m taking Marinette shopping and am going to give her the best makeover ever. That way, Adrien will be tripping over himself to be around her.”

“Isn’t he already doing that?” Ivan said.

Alya looked excited. “No, this could work! This could be the push they both need!”

Kim leant over whisper to Max. “Ten euros says Adrien runs into something when he sees her.”

Max laughed. “Ten euros says he falls over.”

Alix leant in and whispered, “Ten euros says he does both.”

They shared a conspiratorial grin. “Deal!”

“Do you really think Marinette with go shopping with you?” Lila spoke for the first time that morning; she’d been uncharacteristically quiet until then. “She doesn’t like you.”

Chloé waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not giving her a choice.”

“Hi everyone,” a new voice called out to them. “What are you all doing in here?”

Everyone froze to see Marinette making her way over to their table. They all shared an alarmed glance, not knowing how to explain their unusual meeting before class.

“I—” Alya began.

“Well—” Chloé said.

“We’re planning our next class movie!” Mylené blurted out.

The class tried to act like this wasn’t news to them.

“Y-Yep!” Nino agreed. “I’m filming.”

“I’ve got the script,” Alya put in. “It’s gonna be about Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Marinette smiled. “Sounds exciting! Although, when did this happen? I didn’t know we were making another movie.”

Alya looked perplexed. “Did you not get the email?”

“What email?”

“I’m sure I emailed you about this. Did it not come through?”

There was a silence and the class waited on tenterhooks for Marinette’s response. They all mentally begged her to accepted Alya’s excuse.

She shrugged. “It mustn’t have. Weird. Anyway, I’ll be happy to do the costumes for it!”

The group slyly released the breaths they’d all been holding.

“You’d be great at costumes, Marinette!” Rose said. “But I think you and Adrien should play the leads!”

Marinette froze. “W-what?”

“Yeah,” Juleka put in, picking up on Rose’s idea. “You two would make an awesome Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Marinette shook her head repeatedly. “Oh no. Nonono, we wouldn’t—I mean—have you seen me? I’m so clumsy! Me, Ladybug? Pffft! You know what? I’m gonna go find Adrien and tell him about this. Seeyouinclassbye!”

She took off out of the library and the rest of them stared after her in confusion.

“What was that?” Nino asked.

“Stage fright?” Nathaniel suggested.

“She wasn’t that nervous when we did the last movie,” Mylené said.

“Wasn’t that just classic Marinette?” Ivan gestured to the spot where the girl in question had just been standing. “Nice, but a little weird and scatterbrained?”

There was a contemplative silence.

“Yeah,” everyone else agreed.

“You know what this means though, right?” Alya said.

“What?”

“We need to ask Miss Bustier if we can actually do another movie.”

A beat passed. Realisation settled in.

“ _Fuck_.”

* * *

“Mr Lahiffe, you are the fourth person to come into my office today and ask to do a class movie. I will give you the same answer I gave everyone else: _no_. You’ve already done one class film, and we don’t have the need or the time to do another.”

“But—” Nino protested.

Miss Bustier sighed. “I don’t know why you are all so adamant to do a movie, but I can’t give you any class time to do it. We have other things to cover in the syllabus.”

“What if we did it out of class, like our last one for that competition?”

Their teacher wouldn’t budge on the matter. “You have exams coming up. You should be focusing on studying for those, not doing another film.”

Nino sighed, thanked Miss Bustier for her time and walked dejectedly from the staffroom. His group of conspirators were waiting for him outside, desperate to hear what he had to say.

“Well?” Alya asked.

Nino shook his head. “No luck.”

They all groaned.

His girlfriend turned to Chloé. “Okay, it’s time to bring out the power move.”

Chloé blinked. “What power move?”

Alya gestured to the staffroom door. “Go on, go do your thing.”

“What thing?”

“Go do your ‘My Daddy is the Mayor of Paris’ thing and get Miss Bustier to do whatever you want.”

Chloé’s eyes widened and immediately looked stricken. “I—uh—don’t want to?”

“You _what?!_ ” The rest of their group (minus Sabrina) demanded.

“I’m trying to be good, okay?!” Chloé cried. “Adrien told me the other day that it’s easy to be nice, and he’s right. It’s easy and it’s _nice_ being nice and it’s been kind of fun hanging out and planning with you guys, and I don’t want to be the person that just calls on my Daddy anymore!”

They all started at her in shock. They hadn’t expected her to come out with that.

“Chloé…” Alya began. “That’s…” She trailed off, not able to find the words to express what she meant.

“So Mylené can go in and ask,” Chloé continued, clearly trying to quickly move on from her embarrassing outburst. “The movie was her idea anyway.”

“But I already asked!” Mylené protested.

“Chloé, dude, that’s really cool of you,” Nino said, and most of the group nodded in agreement; the others were still getting over their shock.

“Are you _kidding me_ right now?!” Lila exclaimed. They all turned to face her, but Lila disregarded them and marched up into Chloé’s face. “You’re always playing the ‘Daddy’ card, and now when it matters most, you’re not gonna do it?! Are you for real?!”

“But—”

“You can be a good person and still use your influence positively!” Lila bulldozed over whatever Chloé was about to say and manhandled her towards the door. “Now get in there!”

With a final shove, Chloé went stumbling into the staffroom and the door slammed shut behind her. Lila stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath and then turned to face her classmates. They were all staring at her in varying degrees of surprise.

“ _What_?” Lila snapped, crossing her arms. “She was being annoying. She’s always treating people like dirt and using her dumb ‘Daddy’ excuse, but she suddenly wants to be good and not do it? When we need her to? Someone had to call her out on it.”

A sly grin appeared on Alya’s face. “Yeah, you _really_ don’t want Adrien and Marinette together, do you?”

Lila froze. “I—no! Of course I don’t!”

“Suuuure, you don’t.”

A blush tainted Lila’s cheeks. “Don’t use that sarcastic tone with me! I just wasn’t going to let Chloé get away with her crap.”

“Of course,” Alya said, but the knowing expression didn’t leave her face. “We believe you, right, guys?”

Everyone nodded, chiming in in agreement.

“That was really cool of you, Lila,” Nathaniel spoke up, and everyone nodded a bit more.

Lila went redder and hurriedly tried to change the topic. “Okay, but did the movie really have to be about Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“It sure did, because I’m writing it!” Alya replied.

“Okay, but what if Marinette and Adrien don’t want to be Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“Oh, they’re doing it,” Chloé said, marching back out of the staffroom. “I got you guys the movie and I’m not giving those two a choice. They’re _doing it_.”

* * *

“We’re not doing it,” Marinette and Adrien said in unison.

“Yeah, no—you’re doing it,” Alya refused to take no for an answer.

“We’d really rather not,” Marinette gestured to herself and the model beside her. “I mean, us as Ladybug and Chat Noir? Yeah, right!”

“Are you kidding?” Chloé interjected. “You look just like them!”

“Really?” Adrien asked. “I don’t see it.”

Chloé shared an incredulous look with the others and then turned back to her childhood friend. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that, Adrikins.”

“But Chlo—”

She shook her head. “No way, Adrikins. We have the script, and we have Nino ready to film. You guys are doing it.”

Marinette and Adrien shared an uneasy look. “But…”

“No buts!” Alya cried. “You’re doing this! Juleka! Start on the make up before they make a run for it!”

Juleka automatically began sorting through different types of foundation, finding the perfect colours for Marinette and Adrien’s skin. “You got it.”

“Honestly, guys, we really don’t want to,” Adrien said, tense.

“No, you’ll be perfect!” Rose piped up. “You look so cute together!”

“But—” The pair tried to protest again.

“Dudes, just go with it,” Nino interrupted them, ready to record with his phone. “We have a movie to film.”

Alya gestured to him. “You heard Spielberg.”

“But—but—but we don’t have costumes yet!” Marinette was clearly clutching at straws for an excuse not to act.

“Yeah!” Adrien agreed with her instantly.

“We don’t need them,” Chloé shot back. “Didn’t you read the script? We’re doing the scene where they find out their civilian identities.”

If anything, Marinette and Adrien became even more uncomfortable.

“Yeah, it’s the kiss scene,” Alya added, as if that was more incentive for them to act.

The pair turned beet red and started sputtering.

“W-w-what?! Adrien and I can’t—what?”

“A k-k-kiss?! With Marinette?! I can’t—that’s—”

“You can and you will,” Chloé cut them off. “I’m the producer; what I say goes. Now, get it together. Everyone in Paris knows that Ladybug and Chat Noir are in love with each other, now you two need to act like it.”

Jeez, were they getting even redder?

“Chlo, please, _stop_ ,” Adrien entreated.

“Nope.”

“It shouldn’t be hard for you guys to act in love, right?” Kim called from his seat at the back of the room, where he’d been watching the pair’s growing mortification with amusement.

“ _Kim!_ ” They whined at him.

“Oh look,” Alix observed from her place beside him. “They’re as red as Nathaniel’s hair.”

“Hey,” Nathaniel said, patting his hair self-consciously. “It’s not _that_ red.”

“Guys, can you _not?_ ” Adrien pleaded. “We can’t do this.”

“Why?” Mylené asked. “Why don’t you want to do it?”

“Well, we—it’s because—we—uh—” Adrien fumbled for an excuse.

“Stage fright?” Marinette offered weakly.

“Miss me with that shit,” Alya scoffed. “You guys were one hundred percent ready to act and kiss each other in our last film.”

Oh wow. So, they _could_ turn even redder than they already were.

“It’s just—” Marinette began.

“We—” Adrien started the same time.

An explosion sound outside.

“Akuma!” Alya cried, rushing to the window to see what was going on, the rest of the class following her.

None of them noticed the breath of relief that Marinette and Adrien let out, or the determined look they shared before they ran out of the classroom.

“Dudes, check this out—” Nino turned to them and faltered at the sight of his missing friends. “Where the fuck are our two leads?!”

Everyone turned and groaned at the realisation that Marinette and Adrien had disappeared.

“How do they keep _doing_ that?” Nathaniel asked.

* * *

**Group Chat: existential crises and train wrecks**

**Max:** So what do we do now?

 **Alya:** well the movie was a bust. everyone keep thinking of ideas

 **Ivan:** but it was a good idea, Mylené

 **Mylené:** thanks Ivan. i just wished it worked.

 **Rose:** Yeah! I wanted to see them so the kiss scene!

 **Rose:** do the kiss scene*

 **Juleka:** same

 **Alix:** same. But how red did they get? Lol

 **Chloé:** did anyone get a photo of that?

 **Nathaniel:** not me.

 **Sabrina:** No, sorry, Chloé

 **Nino:** I wish, man. they looked hilarious

 **Lila:** I didnt get anything

 **Alya:** _[Sent one attachment]_

 **Nino:** bless you

 **Nino:** _[Changed the group chat display picture]_

 **Alya:** yes.

 **Alya:** but for real tho. If anyone has any ideas, just go for it. This is getting rdiculos

* * *

Max had a plan. He so had a plan. It was _foolproof_.

Kim looked over his shoulder. “I don’t think this is gonna work, man.”

“Shh, this has an eighty percent chance of success.”

“Hmmm, no. No, I really don’t think it does.”

“It’s better than your plan.”

“...Okay, fair point.”

Max laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

They were in the school library, and Max was learning the perfect way to woo someone by playing his way through numerous dating simulators on his computer.

Kim had been by his side, observing the whole time. “I still don’t think it’s gonna work.”

“This is research,” Max insisted. “If we play it and then show Adrien what we’ve learnt, he’ll be able to tell Marinette how he feels.”

Kim remained unconvinced, but that didn’t stop him from offering his opinion whenever Max had to choose an option in the game.

“Hey, guys,” Adrien’s voice jolted the pair out of what they doing, and they turned to see the model approaching them, Marinette at his side. “What’s up?”

“Oh—uh—just...playing a game,” Max replied awkwardly.

The pair reached their table and saw what he and Kim were doing. Max braced himself for the questions of why, exactly, he was playing a dating simulator. He was even prepared for pitying looks from Marinette and Adrien. But instead of anything negative, the latter lit up in recognition.

“True Love Story VI: Midnight Rendezvous!” Adrien said, a wide smile on his face. “I’ve played that!”

Wait, what? That was _not_ what Max was expecting.

“Really?” Max, Kim and Marinette asked in unison.

“Yeah,” Adrien nodded enthusiastically. “The graphics are way better than the ones that came before it. Have you played them? I have them all at home.”

Max was suddenly doubting how effective his plan was going to be.

“Uh, yeah,” Max said. “I like this one the best though.”

“Same!”

Kim, it seemed, couldn’t stay silent at the revelation. “I didn’t pick you as a dating sim man, Agreste.”

Adrien shrugged. “I had a lot of time at home by myself, so I had to amuse myself somehow. Plus, the stories would interest me.”

Marinette smiled. “That explains so much.”

Adrien sent her a cocky grin. It seemed more fitting for someone like Chat Noir, not the mild-mannered Adrien Agreste. “Oh really, Princess?”

Huh. Maybe Adrien really would have suited the role of the cat superhero in their class film, despite his protests. He was _smirking_. Wouldn’t fit the role of Chat Noir, _yeah right._

Marinette seemed unaffected and Max really wanted to know when and how exactly she stopped turning into a mess around her crush. “Yes, really,” she said.

“I play it all the time.”

Oh, Max was _really_ starting to doubt how effective his plan was going to be.

Adrien sent another smirk Marinette’s way. “Where do you think I get all my smooth lines from?”

“None of your lines are smooth,” Marinette deadpanned.

Damn it. Max was back at square one.

Adrien laughed. “Princess, you wound me!”

She smiled. “Well, I would have thought that your lines came from anime.”

“Oh yeah, that too. For _sure_. I’d fit right in at the Host Club, don’t you agree?”

Marinette giggled, her expression fond. “You dork.”

As the two bantered amongst themselves, Max shared a despairing look with Kim.

“Told you so,” his friend muttered.

* * *

 **Group Chat:** **existential crises and train wrecks**

 **Kim:** so maxs plan didnt pan out

 **Max:** Sorry, everyone. I thought it would be successful.

 **Nino:** no worries, man. Your idea was better than mine and Alya’s. We wanted to lock them in a cupboard, but we’re saving that for when we get really desperate.

 **Alya:** ngl, we’re probs gonna have to do that soon.

 **Nino:** I’ll start looking for a decent cupboard

* * *

A white limousine pulled up beside Marinette.

Chloé poked her head out of the window. “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.”

Marinette shot her a glare and kept walking. Knowing that the baker’s daughter wouldn’t listen to her, Chloé sighed and dialled a number on her phone.

It all happened relatively quickly after that. One minute Marinette was walking down the street, the next she was picked up by some burly henchmen of Chloé’s and thrown into the limo.

Chloé expected that Marinette would be less than pleased with that idea, but she didn’t expect the hard, right swing the girl threw out at her supposed kidnappers. It was only because Sabrina pulled her out of the way that Chloé managed to dodge the punch.

“Whoa, calm down, will you?!” she snapped.

“Chloé?! Sabrina?! What the hell—”

“Calm down,” Chloé repeated.

“And don’t forget to put your seat belt on,” Sabrina added, as the limo began driving away.

Marinette relaxed out of her defensive stance and went to do as Sabrina said. However, that didn’t stop her confused question of, “What is going on?”

“Like I said, we’re going shopping.”

Marinette just stared at her incredulously. “Come again?”

Chloé sighed, annoyed she had to explain herself. Shouldn’t it be obvious? “For some reason, Adrikins has deemed you worthy of his affections, but he hasn’t done anything about it.”

As expected, Marinette blushed a brilliant red. “He doesn’t—Adrien’s not—why would he do anything about what?”

Sabrina and Chloé both gave her disbelieving looks.  

“Okay, so we’re going to skip over the part where you act like an idiot and try and deny that Adrien is madly in love with you,” Chloé said.

“He’s not in—”

“Skip!” Chloé interrupted.

“I’m serious!” Marinette argued. “He doesn’t. I mean, I love him—”

“Well, _duh_ ,” Chloé rolled her eyes. “Everyone can tell you love him. You wouldn’t know the word ‘subtle’ if it hit you over the head.”

“Chloé,” Sabrina interjected, “remember what we said about being nice?”

Both the other girls completely disregarded Sabrina’s interruption.

Marinette frowned at them. “You’re one to talk, Chloé! You’re always jumping all over Adrien!”

“Well, I don’t do it anymore!”

“Since when?!”

“Since it became super obvious that he’s in love with you!” Chloé exclaimed.

That pulled Marinette up short. Shock flittered onto her features and a beat passed before she once again tried to argue against them. “W-what? He’s not—it’s not like that.”

“Skip!” Chloé repeated.

Marinette grunted in frustration. “I mean it! He’s not in love with me!”

“I’m going to prove that wrong later,” Sabrina said. “Right now, we’re going shopping.”

“Why?”

“Because, like I said, for all that Adrikins is enamoured with you, he’s not doing anything about it. We’re going to give you a makeover, so he has no choice but to act on his feelings.”

“I—you—what—no,” Marinette spluttered. “Chloé, it’s not like that. _We’re_ not like that. Adrien and I—we _can’t_ be like that.”

“ _Why?”_ The Mayor’s daughter demanded. “You both love each other, so why can’t you be together?!”

“Because we—” Marinette cut off her automatic response. She took a deep breath and sighed; she looked resigned. Defeated. “Even if he did love me, the relationship we have right now is too important to change. If we did, if it went wrong, if it was ruined...it wouldn’t be good for anybody.”

Well, _that_ was certainly more information any of the class had been able to get out Marinette and Adrien about why they were dancing around each other. It still wasn’t a complete answer, but it was a lot better than their standard, “It’s complicated.”

“You’re hiding something,” Chloé surmised.

“What? No, I’m not—”

“That was a half-truth,” Sabrina said, eyeing Marinette with a knowing expression. “There’s more to it than that.”

“There’s not—”

Chloé waved a dismissive hand. “Whatever. I don’t care. Well, I do, because it involves Adrien, but fine. Keep your real reasons to yourself. That doesn’t mean you’re getting out of the shopping trip and makeover.”

“I don’t have any money to go shopping.”

“I’m paying.”

“I’m not letting you pay for me.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“ _Yes_ , you _are_.”

“ _No_ , I’m _not_.”

“Guys!” Sabrina cut in. “You’re going around in circles!”

The two girls paused, realising how true Sabrina’s statement was; silence fell as the limo continued driving through Paris.

“I can’t let you do so much for me, Chloé,” Marinette eventually spoke up. “I know where you shop, I’d never be able to afford it and it would take me ages to pay you back.”

“I don’t want you to pay me back.”

“But—”

“Think of it as an investment,” the blonde said. “I’m investing in yours and Adrien’s happiness.”

Some of the stubborn resistance left Marinette’s expression, replaced by confusion. “But why? Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Adrien said that it was nice being nice, and that it wasn’t hard, and he’s right, so I’m _trying_.” Chloé’s expression was earnest; vulnerable, but honest. “And he’s my oldest friend. If you make him happy, then I’m going to try my hardest to get you guys together.”

Marinette stared at her, mouth open in shock. “Chloé—that’s— _t_ _hank you_.”

A blush burnt Chloe’s cheeks, and she huffed, crossing her arms; a clear attempt at being her usual, tough, haunty self. “Yes, well, don’t say that until after we finish shopping. This is going to be full on, Dupain-Cheng. There’s sales on, and I won’t stop until we get all of them.”

Mystified, Marinette turned to Sabrina, as if looking for an explanation for what had happened in the last few minutes.

“She’s not kidding,” Sabrina said. “Get prepared for the shopping trip of your life.”

* * *

“I can’t feel my feet,” Marinette groaned. “No wait, I can, they’re two slabs of pain at the bottom of my legs.”

“Oh, don’t be a baby,” Chloé scoffed, arms laden with shopping bags.

“It’s not that bad,” Sabrina said.

“I’ve been in akuma attacks that were easier than this,” Marinette muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

A crash sounded right outside the shopping centre.

Marinette sighed. “Jinxed it.”

“What’d you say?”

“Nothing.”

“I think there’s an akuma—” Sabrina began, but was cut off by an explosion rocking the building.

“Akumas have the worst timing,” Chloé huffed.

“We should split up and look for cover,” Marinette said.

Chloé looked incredulous. “Are you serious? Splitting up is a horrible idea! Are you the dumb person in a horror movie who always suggests that the group splits up? You know what happens to them? They _die_ , Marinette, and I’m not letting you die until Adrien is happy!”

Sabrina elbowed her in the ribs.

A beat passed. “Fine, and you too, I guess. You can be happy as well,” Chloé amended. “Besides, we don’t have to worry. My best friend Ladybug will be here any minute to fix this.”

“I really think—” Marinette started to speak, but another explosion rocked the building, sending a blur of black and blond to crash at their feet.

Chat Noir coughed and sat up, shaking debris off himself. He groaned, rolled his right shoulder, and muttered a curse. He seemed to notice them as an afterthought. “Hey Chloé, Sabrina, Marinette—” He froze, his eyes widening in alarm. “ _Marinette_!” He looked from the girl in question, to the other two she was with, and back. Understanding flickered onto his features before it was replaced by an expression of panic as another explosion occurred. “Marinette needs to come with me right now!”

“What? Why?!” Chloé demanded.

“She’s in danger,” Chat said, taking the bags from Marinette’s arms, placing them on the ground and then picking her up. “The akuma is after her. Gotta go!”

Her took off, leaving Chloé and Sabrina staring after them.

“Wait!” Chloé shouted.

“Where are you taking her?!” Sabrina cried a second later.

“I’ll bring her back when it’s safe!” Chat yelled back. “Bye!”

The superhero and their classmate disappeared, leaving Chloé and Sabrina staring after them.

“Okay, Hawkmoth _seriously_ needs to stop getting in the way of all our matchmaking plans,” Chloé said.

Sabrina simply hummed in agreement.

* * *

When the akuma was defeated, and Chat Noir deposited one perfectly fine Marinette Dupain-Cheng back to them (who refused to give a decent answer as to _why_ an akuma was after her), the three went back to Chloé’s hotel.

“Is this really necessary?” Marinette asked, as Chloé and Sabrina positioned her in front of a mirror.

“We’ve got you nice clothes, now we’re going to show you how to do your hair and makeup nice,” Chloé said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

That didn’t stop Marinette from arguing anyway. “You know that whatever you show me, I’m not going to be able to do it on my own for school tomorrow, right?”

Chloé paused, moments away from beginning to brush Marinette’s hair. She looked thoughtful for a second and then shrugged dismissively. “Okay, fine. We’ll just make you over before school starts in the morning.”

“But—”

“No buts!” Chloé said, brandishing her hairbrush. “You’re going to turn up early to school tomorrow so we can work our magic, and Adrikins won’t know what hit him!”

“But—”

“ _No buts!”_

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there,” Marinette promised.

Chloé nodded, pleased, and then turned to her best friend. “Okay, Sabrina, she’s all yours.”

“Huh?” Marinette asked, as Sabrina beamed and rushed off to set up a computer and a projector screen.

“She said she was going to prove you wrong about Adrien’s feelings for you, and that’s what she’s doing.” the Mayor’s daughter explained. “You might want to get comfortable; we’re going to be here a while.”

* * *

“And example seventy-eight, much like examples five, thirteen, twenty-one, twenty-seven, thirty-nine, forty-five, fifty-three, sixty-one, sixty-four, and seventy-three, show the besotted expression Adrien gets on his face when Marinette laughs.” Sabrina said, gesturing to the PowerPoint projection. “This expression appears in a further thirty-two examples, but only occurs when Adrien knows Marinette isn’t looking.”

“Where did you even get all these photos?” Marinette wanted to know, her cheeks flaming.

“Example seventy-nine shows numerous instances of when Adrien has touched Marinette on the shoulder. The current tally of this happening is up to ninety-eight,” Sabrina went on, completely disregarding Marinette’s question. “Furthermore, he seems to show a level of comfortability with you, Marinette, that is different to others.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hugs, shoulder pats, arms over your shoulders, and a penchant for leaning into your personal space that will inevitably result in a nose bop,” Sabrina explained.

If anything, Marinette blushed even more. “Oh.”

“Yeah, _oh_ ,” Chloé interjected. “So it’s about time you did something about it.” Marinette drew breath to speak, but the blonde didn’t let her talk. “And oh my god, if you try and argue your way out of this, I will strangle you.”

“That would upset Adrien,” Sabrina told her.

“He’ll live, but my patience can only handle so much.”

Marinette looked reluctant, but resigned. “Okay,” she said with a sigh. “I won’t argue, and I’ll turn up early tomorrow, but I won’t promise anything beyond that. You can threaten to strangle me all you want, Chloé, but what I have with Adrien is precious. I wouldn’t risk it for the world.”

Chloé huffed. “You two are just as stubborn as each other.”

A small grin appeared on Marinette’s face. “Yeah, I suppose we are.”

“Ah, stubbornness,” Sabrina piped up. “That brings me to example eighty: numerous testimonials from our classmates about how Adrien stubbornly refuses to ask you out, despite admitting he likes you.”

“Wait, there’s more?!” Marinette asked, as her face reached a new level of red.

“There’s one hundred and ten slides,” Sabrina said.

“Oh my god.”

“And you’re going to watch _all of them_ ,” Chloé didn’t have an ounce of sympathy for Marinette’s embarrassment.

The baker’s daughter let out a small noise of protest.

It went ignored.

* * *

 **Group Chat:** **existential crises and train wrecks**

 **Alya:** anyone wanna tell me why I just got a text from mari that says, “ADRIEN ACTUALLY LIKES ME?????????”

 **Sabrina:** That was me. I showed her a one hundred and ten slide PowerPoint with evidence that he likes her.

 **Alya:** NOCE

 **Alya:** NICE, even

 **Chloé:** we’re also giving her a makeover before school tomorrow. So, Nino, you’re in charge of getting Adrikins to us when we’re ready.

 **Nino:** got it, my dudes.

 **Max:** Although, should we have a backup plan? Because, statistically speaking, this one probably won’t work either.

 **Alya:** we dont need that kind of negativity in this house max

 **Max:** Not negativity. Probability.

 **Alya:** not in this house!

 **Max:**...You mean the group chat?

 **Alya:** _[_ _Has changed the group chat name to ‘This House’]_

 **Max:** Okay, but you have to agree that it’s better to have a backup plan in case this one goes awry.

 **Alya:** alrught gine. Whos got any idaes?

 **Nino:** wow, babe. That spelling.

 **Alya:** shut it speilberg. I dont have time for grammar we need PLANS

 **Nathaniel:** Does anyone have anything? I’m coming up blank.

 **Kim:** do you want me to push them again?

 **Alya:** NO

 **Chloé:** NO

 **Sabrina:** NO

 **Nino:** NO

 **Kim:** spoilsports.

 **Mylené:** do they have common interests?

 **Juleka:** Fashion?

 **Nino:** my dude just models clothes. He’s not all that interested in the design side of it like marinette

 **Rose:** apparently they got running together. What about sports?

 **Chloé:** WE ARE NOT HAVING ANOTHER REPEAT OF THAT GOD-AWFUL P.E. LESSON

 **Alix:** you guys just want to suck the fun out of everything

 **Chloé:** I SAID NO.

 **Alix:** fiiiiiiiine

 **Lila:** Adrien likes superheroes

 **Lila:** yes, shut up, i suggested something. I just want this stupd chat to stop spamming my phone with notifications.

 **Nino:** way to be supportive lila

 **Nino:** _[Has sent a thumbs up]_

 **Nino:** but yeah, adrien is a big Ladybug fanboy

 **Lila:** urgh. Forget i said anything.

 **Alya:** way to go lila! Good idea!

 **Lila:** omg SHUT UP

 **Alya:** but as much as  i love the idea of having Ladybug weigh in on this issue, how are we supposed to get her to help? I could put something up on the Ladyblog?

 **Chloé:** Adrikins checks that, like, every day. That’s not gonna work.

 **Ivan:** What about something a little easier? What about music?

 **Alya:** but laDYBUG

 **Nino:** babe, Ivan is right. Music is easier to handle. Adrien loves Jagged Stone

 **Alya:** im reluctant to admit that mari does too. I like Lila’s idea

 **Alya:** LADYBUG, guys.

 **Nino:** if the music doesn’t work, we can consider the superhero one again

 **Alya:** fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

 **Ivan:** Jagged Stone is playing in Paris tomorrow night

 **Nino:** that’d be awesome, but how are we supposed to get tickets this late?? Plus i bet they’re super expensive.

 **Alya:** Chloé

 **Nathaniel:** Chloé

 **Rose:** Chloé

 **Juleka:** Chloé

 **Max:** Chloé

 **Kim:** Chloé

 **Alix:** Chloé

 **Mylené:** Chloé

 **Ivan:** Chloé

 **Lila:** Chloé

 **Sabrina:** uh...Chloé?

 **Chloé:** urgh. Fine. i’m on it.

 **Chloé:** you guys owe me.

 **Nino:** aw, she didnt call as losers. I think shes warming up to us.

 **Chloé:** shut it, lahiffe.

 **Nino:** #feelingthelove

 **Rose:** But really, thanks Chloé

 **Juleka:** what rose said

 **Nathaniel:** Yeah, thank you

 **Sabrina:** Wait! What if we combine it with the makeover idea? We make Marinette look super nice, and then send her and Adrien off to the concert? Like a date?

 **Alya:** FUCK YEAH!! GOOD IDEA IVAN AND SABRINA!

 **Ivan:** do you think they’ll like it?

 **Nino:** it’s Mari and Adrien, they’re gonna love it.

 **Rose:** and hopefully each other.

 **Chloé:** if they don’t, i swear, i’m going to strangle the pair of them

 **Alya:** big mood, man. Big mood.

* * *

“I don’t get it,” Marinette said. “One moment you’re all but demanding I come for a makeover before school, and now it’s night and I’m apparently going out?”

Chloé shrugged. “Plans change.”

“And you won’t tell me where I’m going?”

“Nope.”

“But you told my parents?”

“Well, we couldn’t just abduct you from your home,” Sabrina said, as she sprayed hairspray into Marinette’s hair.

“That didn’t stop you from abducting me off the street and throwing me in your limo.”

Chloé waved a dismissive hand. “Semantics.”

“Really though, where am I going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Sabrina told her. When Marinette remained unconvinced, she tacked on, “A nice surprise. I promise.”

“No amount of arguing is going to get me out of this, right?”

Chloé smirked. “You’re learning.”

“There! All done!” Sabrina said brightly, stepping away from Marinette. “You look lovely!”

Marinette studied her reflection. Her usual pink outfit was gone, replaced with a bright red dress, black flats and matching black clutch. Her trademark pigtails were gone, and instead her hair fell in waves to her shoulders. To complete the look, Chloé had also applied a small amount of makeup.

“I look...nice,” Marinette said. “Thank you.”

Chloé checked the time. “Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome,” she said hurriedly. “Now come on, or we’re going to be late.”

* * *

Everyone seemed to be on tenterhooks, waiting for Chloé, Sabrina and Marinette to arrive. Not that Adrien noticed; he just happily followed Nino and the rest of their classmates to the designated meeting place. If Nino wasn’t so preoccupied with that was about to happen, he would have found his best friend’s complete obliviousness amusing. Instead, he was filled with a sense of desperation, hoping that the plan would work and they Marinette and Adrien would _finally_ be together.

“I can’t believe we all got tickets to see Jagged Stone!” The model enthused. “How did you guys manage that?”

“Chloé,” Nino said, by way of explanation.

Adrien raised his eyebrows. “She brought everyone tickets?”

“Yep.”

“Even Mar—”

“Oh look! There they are!” Nino interrupted, pointing towards where Chloé, Sabrina and Marinette were making their way over to them.

The rest of the class watched with baited breath. All eyes were on Adrien as he walked along beside his best friend. The blond looked to where Nino was pointing, and everyone knew the moment he spotted Marinette. Adrien’s eyes went wide, his mouth dropped open, and distracted as he was, he didn’t realise where he was going, or that those around him had stopped walking. He ended up running into Ivan, bouncing off his classmate and falling to the floor with a grunt.

“Yes!” Alix cried, and turned eagerly to Max and Kim, holding her hand out. “Pay up, losers! He did both!”

Two boys begrudgingly pulled their wallets out and handed her some euros.

“What?” Adrien said, picking himself off the ground. “I did what?”

Kim, Alix and Max froze. “Uhh...” they chorused.

“Oh, hey, look—it’s Marinette!” Nino said, shoving Adrien in direction of their class president, and sparing the others from answering his best friend’s question.

Adrien want stumbling towards his crush, and completely missed the three sighs of relief that Kim, Alix and Max let out. Nino shot them an unimpressed look and they sheepishly apologised. But before he could say anything to them, Adrien drew their attention by finally making it over to Marinette.

This was it. Marinette looked beautiful, Adrien looked besotted and a love confession was bound to happen any moment now.

“WHAT’S UP, PARIS?!?!” Jagged Stone shouted, walking onto the stage.

The venue erupted in screams; their class erupted in groans. The moment they’d worked so hard to create was ruined as Marinette and Adrien hurriedly greeted each other and then rushed to their seats, excited to watch their favourite artist.

“Are you _fucking kidding me?!_ ” exclaimed Alya, her shout barely heard over the screams of the audience.

The rest of the class echoed her in bitter, exasperated disappointment.

* * *

**Group Chat: This House**

**Chloé:** THAT’S IT. THEY’RE DEAD. THE STRANGLING STARTS NOW.

 **Chloé:** I HAVE HAD ENOUGH

 **Alya:** I WILL HOLD THEM DOWN. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. HOW HARD IS IT TO GET TWO PEOPLE TOGETHER??

 **Nathaniel:** guys, please calm down

 **Mylène:** yeah, at least the concert was good?

 **Alya:** yeah, it was a good idea Chloé, Sabrina, Ivan BUT STILL

 **Alya:** OKAY BUT IF THERE’S NO STRANGLING, LILA’S LADYBUG PLAN IS GO

 **Lila:** wait. No. that’s not my plan. Literally all i said was that Adrien likes superheroes

 **Alya:** LADYBUG PLAN IS GO.

 **Nino:** how are we actually supposed to do that?

 **Alya:** after the next akuma attack, we are not stopping until we find Ladybug and Chat Noir. Agreed?

_[Multiple people are typing...]_

**Chloé:** agreed

 **Sabrina:** agreed

 **Rose:** of course!

 **Juleka:** yeah

 **Alix:** yep

 **Kim:** sure

 **Max:** Agreed.

 **Mylené:** for sure!

 **Ivan:** I’m in

 **Lila:** do i have to?

 **Nino:** B R U H

 **Lila:** fine. I’m in.

 **Alya:** YEEEEEEEEEEEES. LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR PLAN IS GO.

* * *

One should never underestimate the determination of a desperate, exasperated, totally-done group of teenage matchmakers. The next akuma attack, the class was out in full-force and tracking down their city’s protectors.

“They went this way!” Alya cried, running down the street, her classmates on her heels.

Just ahead of them, they saw Ladybug and Chat Noir duck into an alleyway.

“Quick!” Chloé urged the group. “Before they get away!”

Somehow, the class managed to reach the alleyway before the two superheroes disappeared.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir! Wait!” Nino shouted, as they all trooped into the lane, effectively blocking off the exit.

The two miraculous wielders tensed, but didn’t automatically yoyo or baton themselves up and out of there, so Alya took that as a good sign and said, “We need your help.”

Concern immediately flashed in the superheroes eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Ladybug asked, even as her miraculous started to beep.

It was clear that the two heroes only had limited time. Alya rushed to explain the situation, hoping that it didn’t sound totally ridiculous and that Ladybug and Chat Noir would actually help them.

“It’s our friends, Marinette and Adrien,” the blogger said. “You know them, right?”

“Uh—um—yep. We do,” Chat replied, looking tenser than ever before. “What’s—uh—wrong with them?”

“They’re in love with each other, but they’re not doing anything about it!” Rose piped up. “We want them to be happy, but they keep just dancing around each other!”

Twin blushes bloomed on Ladybug and Chat Noir’s cheeks and they both broke out in high, nervous laughter.

“In—in love with each other?” Chat echoed, panic in his eyes. “A-Are you sure?”

“No, no way!” Ladybug spluttered. “Marinette’s not—I mean, Adrien’s definitely not in love with her.”

“Of course he is!” Alya argued. “He looks at her like she’s hung the moon.”

“He has literally said that he’s in love with Marinette,” Nino added.

“Oh god,” Chat looked pale.

“Repeatedly,” Chloé said.

“Uh, Chloé—” Chat began.

“And everyone can see that Marinette loves Adrien,” Mylené said. “She has since his first day of school.”

“What?” Chat asked weakly.

“Oh my god,” Ladybug whispered, looking mortified.

“We’ve tried everything to get them together,” Nathaniel said. “I painted them.”

“I took their picture,” Juleka, quiet as always, murmured from the back of the group.

Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses beeped, but no one paid them any attention.

“I pushed them together heaps of times,” Kim said, completely disregarding how the superheroes rubbed their arms, as it feeling old wounds.

“I beat Kim at dodgeball,” Alix smiled proudly.

“I told them they looked cute together...a _lot_ ,” Rose said.

“I thought if I studied dating simulators, it would help Adrien confess,” Max put in. “But that didn’t really work out.”

“I made a one hundred and ten slide PowerPoint presentation full of evidence of why Adrien loves Marinette,” Sabrina said.

“Wait—h-how many slides, exactly?” Chat Noir asked.

“We even tried making them kiss in another class movie,” Mylené said, before anyone could answer Chat’s question.

“I suggested music, and Chloé bought us all tickets to Jagged Stone, so we could set Adrien and Marinette up on a date,” Ivan told them.

“And I gave Marinette a makeover for it, too,” Chloé said. “But then Jagged came on stage and ruined the moment. Rude. We’ve been pulling out all the stops for this, too. I even had _Uncle Gabe_ in on this.”

“Alya and I had the idea to lock them in a room until they confess,” Nino gestured to his girlfriend.

“But we’re saving that for if Lila’s suggestion of getting you guys to help fails,” Alya added.

“Okay, no, this wasn’t my idea,” Lila piped up. “Literally all I said was ‘Adrien likes superheroes,’ and you were all ‘LADYBUG PLAN IS GO.’” Lila looked she wanted to be anywhere else but there. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, sighed and continued. “I was against this whole idea from the start. I thought Adrien was cute, and wanted him to myself. But this has been going on for ages now, and I can see how much he loves Marinette, so I’m admitting defeat. Hell, I don’t even like you guys and I’m here asking for help. So can you please just help us and get those two idiots together? You’re superheroes, they’ll listen to you.”

Silence reigned after Lila’s speech, which was ultimately broken by the class giving Lila numerous hugs, pats on the back, and support for her decision.

“ _Please_ ,” Chloé said, once the hubbub died down. “We can’t take this anymore. Please talk to those two dorks before I kill them.”

The two superheroes didn’t say a word. They simply stood there, looking shocked and, of all things, embarrassed. They were both as red as Ladybug’s suit.

Chat Noir was the first to move. He took a moment to collect himself and then faced his partner, his expression softening. “They’re right, you know.”

“Of course we are,” Nino muttered. He looked like he wanted to say more, but Alya nudged him and he fell silent.

“I’m feeling a little mortified and I planned this differently in my head, but they’re right,” Chat went on.

Ladybug shook her head, looking at her partner with pain in her eyes. “We _can’t_.”

“Yes, you can,” Chloé interjected, sounding frustrated. “Just _talk to them_.”

The miraculouses chimed again; they went ignored.

Chat approached Ladybug, gently taking her hand and shooting her a soft smile. “Why not?”

“Sometimes, your heart tells you one thing, but a great superhero always listens to her head.”

“Well, you’ve always been a better hero than me, Bugaboo.”

The two were now standing mere centimetres from each other. Ladybug rested her head against Chat’s chest. “Don’t say that, you stupid cat. You’re just as good as me.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be a good hero, if that means ignoring my heart.”

The class looked on in confusion.

“Have I...missed something?” Kim asked, bewildered. "I feel like I've missed something."

“It’s not just you,” Max said, and the others nodded in agreement.

There was clearly something in what the two superheroes were saying that their audience didn’t understand.

Chat continued as if they hadn’t spoken. It was as if he and his partner forgot they were there. “I guess I haven’t been hiding it as well as I thought if everyone knows,” he said, reaching up with his free hand to gently brush a hair out of Ladybug’s eyes. “Apparently it’s obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: I love you.”

Ladybug drew in a harsh breath, the resistance in her expression wavering; the rest of them gasped in unison.

Alya got her phone out and started recording. “This wasn’t what I came here for, but I’ll take it.”

“I’ve loved you since the first day I met you,” Ladybug admitted. “But if we do this...If it goes wrong, if we ruin it—it—it wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

Chat Noir blushed, but Chloé froze, going ramrod straight as those words struck a chord in her memory. “Oh my god.” Pieces of a puzzle she didn’t know was there came together in her mind; the answer to all the questions she and the others had had since this whole matchmaking idea started. _"Oh my god_.”

Her classmates turned to face her curiously.

“Oh my god!” She exclaimed, looking from one superhero to the other. “Oh my fucking god!”

“Chloé, what—” Alya began, but Chloé held a hand up to stall her.

The Mayor’s daughter marched up to the two heroes. “Oh my god, you’re idiots!”

“Chloé—” Chat tried to say.

“Oh no!” She said, cutting him off. “ _Hell no._ You two have been a pain in my ass for _weeks_ , and _this_ is why?!”

“Chlo—”

“Oh my god, Adrien, shut up and kiss her!”

The class exploded into noise behind her. There were numerous gasps, swears and shouts of shock.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Alya cried.

“DUDE!”

“HOLY FUCKING MOTHER OF SHIT!”

“OH MY GOD!!”

“Oh my god, shut up!” Chloé snapped at her classmates, and turned back to Chat Noir, pointing to Ladybug as she did. “I swear, Adrikins, if you do not kiss her right now, I am going to kill you.”

“I—um—uh,” he spluttered, turning beet red.

“You were just professing your love a second ago, Adrien, this shouldn’t be a big deal.”

“It is to us!” Ladybug and Chat Noir chorused, as their miraculous gave another frantic beep.

“And _you_ _!”_ Chloé said, rounding on Ladybug. “Stop worrying about duty and risk and whatever. Just be together and happy, jeez! And _kiss_ , god damn it!”

“KISS!” The class agreed, nodding eagerly.

The two superheroes swallowed nervously and faced each other, blushing heavily.

“I love you,” Chat told her softly.

“I love you, too,” she replied.

They leant in and their lips met in a gentle kiss. As it deepened, their miraculouses gave one final, frantic beep, and pink and green light washed over their bodies. The class watched in awe as the kissing Ladybug and Chat Noir turned into a kissing Marinette and Adrien.

The classmates didn’t know what to make of the little creatures that came out of the miraculouses, but they all—even Lila—broke out in cheers at the sight of their friends finally together.

Marinette and Adrien finally separated, looking flushed, but grinning widely with hands intertwined, and turned to their friends.

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Alya looked gobsmacked and was still filming.

“Does this mean we did it?” Kim asked. “Was our wing-classmate-ing successful?”

“I’m going to say yes, and about fucking time,” Alix replied.

“If at first you don’t succeed, corner some superheroes in an alleyway, I guess,” Nino laughed. “This also answers, like, all of the questions I had.”

“Just—oh my god,” Chloé looked incredulous. “We did _all_ that, and you two were just being stubborn because you’re Ladybug and Chat Noir.” She paused, going pale. “Oh my god, Ladybug is _Marinette Dupain-Cheng._ I called Marinette Dupain-Cheng my best friend.”

“Thanks for all your help these last few days, Chloé,” Marinette said.

Chloé groaned.

She wasn’t allowed to stay upset for long, as she was grabbed by an excited Sabrina and brought into the group of jumping, elated and utterly mind-blown classmates. Their friends were still cheering or in varying states of surprise, but regardless of their reactions, they were all happy at the final result of their unofficial class project.

Alya continued to look stunned. “I can’t believe this. I can’t fucking believe that the reason you guys were so stubborn about your feelings was because you’re _Ladybug and Chat Noir._ ”

Marinette and Adrien shared a conspiratorial grin and then turned to beam at their celebrating group of friends.

“We told you it was complicated.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed my fic for the Miraculous Big Bang 2017. I've been working on it for so long, part of me can't believe it's over. On the other hand, it felt like this fic would never end (I was nearly 4k over my expected word count. The fic just kept going, I swear.) Still! It's complete, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of a few wonderful people.
> 
> Thank you to [Loosescrewslefty](http://loosescrewslefty.tumblr.com/), who did the art for this fic. It was the first ever artwork I'd received based on one of my fics, and I love it. Thank you for sticking with me, and for all the time and effort you put into this project.
> 
> Thank you to [Coco](marciacmoon.tumblr.com), who composed an incredible song for this fic. You can listen to it [here.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBFBIWoFHhN0-qgA39NYA4psMNOYoIih/view) It's super bright and happy and I adore it. Thanks for all your hard work, and for all the encouragement you gave me as I was racing to get this fic finished.
> 
> And thank you to the beautiful [wonderfulwizardofthozz](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderfulwizardofthozz/works), my fanfiction wife and beta, who understands semicolons, Oxford commas and sentence structure far better than I do. Thanks for editing this, and for all the love and support you give me.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this fic, and if you did, please leave me a comment. Or come and fangirl with me on [tumblr.](http://khaleisey.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> 


End file.
